Method for transferring data packets to a shared resource, and related device and computer software

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transferring data packets to a shared resource ( 12 ) in a telecommunication network, that comprises the following steps: providing N processing queues (Qi, i=i to N) each associated with a respective period having a predetermined duration, where N>1; based on information indicated by a received packet, allocating said packet to one of the processing queues; adding the received packet (P 13 ) in the queue (Qi) to which it has been allocated; selecting a processing queue from the N queues so that each non-empty queue is selected at least once during the associated period; and extracting at least one packet from the selected processing queue and transferring it in priority to the shared resource ( 12 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of transferring data packets to a shared resource in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
 receiving at least one packet to be transferred to a queue from among N processing queues each associated with a determined duration, where N>1; 
 assigning the received packet to one of the N processing queues by at least:
 identifying a communication stream to which the received packet belongs; 
 
 updating a value representative of the received data volume for the identified communication stream; and
 determining the queue to which the received packet is assigned as a function of the result of at least one comparison between the updated value and a determined threshold; 
 
 adding the received packet to the queue to which the received packet has been assigned; 
 selecting a processing queue from among the N queues such that each non-empty queue is selected at least once in the course of a time period of duration corresponding to the duration associated with the queue considered; 
 extracting at least one packet from the selected processing queue; and 
 transferring the extracted packet to the shared resource by priority with respect to the packets of the other queues. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising not adding the received packet to any of the N queues, when the received packet satisfies at least one predetermined condition. 
     
     
       3. A method of transferring data packets to a shared resource in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
 receiving at least one packet to be transferred to a queue from among N processing queues each associated with a determined duration, where N>1; 
 determining, as a function of information contained in the received packet, whether the received packet satisfies at least one predetermined condition; 
 assigning the received packet to one of the N processing queues, the queue to which the received packet is assigned being dependent on the result of the determination; 
 adding the received packet to the queue to which the received packet has been assigned; 
 selecting a processing queue from among the N queues such that each non-empty queue is selected at least once in the course of a time period of duration corresponding to the duration associated with the queue considered; 
 extracting at least one packet from the selected processing queue; 
 transferring the extracted packet to the shared resource by priority with respect to the packets of the other queues. 
 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising, on receipt of the received packet, choosing the at least one predetermined condition from among the following conditions:
 the received packet is sent in accordance with a determined protocol; 
 the received packet has been sent by a determined application implemented in a source terminal or is intended for a determined application implemented in a recipient terminal; 
 the received packet belongs to a communication stream whose throughput is less than a determined threshold; and 
 the received packet belongs to a communication stream for which a total number of packets present in the queues is less than a predefined threshold. 
 
     
     
       5. A method of transferring data packets to a shared resource in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
 receiving at least one packet to be transferred to a queue from among N processing queues each associated with a determined duration, where N>1; 
 assigning the received packet to one of the N processing queues; 
 adding the received packet to the queue to which the received packet has been assigned; 
 selecting a processing queue from among the N queues such that each non-empty queue is selected at least once in the course of a time period of duration corresponding to the duration associated with the queue considered; 
 extracting at least one packet from the selected processing queue; 
 transferring the extracted packet to the shared resource by priority with respect to the packets of the other queues; 
 not adding the received packet to any of the N queues, when the received packet satisfies at least one predetermined condition; and 
 on receipt of the received packet, said choosing the at least one condition is from among the following conditions:
 the received packet is sent in accordance with a determined protocol; 
 the received packet has been sent by a determined application implemented in a source terminal or is intended for a determined application implemented in a recipient terminal; 
 the received packet belongs to a communication stream whose throughput is less than a determined threshold; and 
 the received packet belongs to a communication stream for which a total number of packets present in the queues is less than a predefined threshold. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A device for transferring data packets to a shared resource in a telecommunications network, the device comprising:
 receiving means for receiving at least one packet to be transferred to a queue from among N processing queues each associated with a determined duration, where N>1;
 assignment means for:
 assigning the received packet to a queue from among the N processing queues, and 
 for at least some of the received packets, identifying a communication stream to which the received packet belongs, updating a value representative of the received data volume for the communication stream identified, and determining the queue to which the received packet is assigned as a function of the result of at least one comparison between the updated value and a determined threshold; 
 
 means for adding the received packet to the queue to which the received packet has been assigned by the assignment means; 
 selection means for selecting a processing queue from among the N queues such that each non-empty queue is selected at least once in the course of a time period of duration corresponding to the duration associated with the queue considered; 
 means for extracting at least one packet from the selected queue selected; 
 means for transferring an extracted packet to the shared resource by priority with respect to the packets of the other queues. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least carry out the method of  claim 1 .